


Stay the Night

by SharkyIsSnarky



Series: Shark Bites: One Shots, Drabbles, and Snippets [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Don't @ Me, Fluff, Gen, Ghosts, Halloween Gift Exchange, Magic, No I don't know either, resurrection via plant life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-18 12:56:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21276941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkyIsSnarky/pseuds/SharkyIsSnarky
Summary: The dead can return from sunset to sunrise the next morning. Obito personally cannot wait for dusk.
Series: Shark Bites: One Shots, Drabbles, and Snippets [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1166138
Kudos: 17





	Stay the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mutemelody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mutemelody/gifts).

> No I don't know what this AU even is, no I will not explain, I am unapologetic and I hope you like it Melody.
> 
> My prompt was  
Keywords: misunderstandings, bonds, dusk, unity
> 
> Characters: Kakashi, Rin, Obito
> 
> Halloween Things: benevolent ghosts, supernatural creatures
> 
> Genre/Mood: not horror; happy ending
> 
> Pairing: kakaobirin (romantic or platonic works fine!!)

Obito squinted at the chalk lines. “That one is wonky.” 

Kakashi, the bastard, said nothing while laying down the cheap plastic tray of sashimi that he had begrudgingly bought before staring at the bright red setting sun. He didn’t even have the courtesy to fake a dodge when Obito’s intangible hand swatted straight through his head. Not that he could see him yet but it was the principle of the thing. “Maybe three minutes to go.”

“I have the candles.” Rin said through the newly enlarged teeth in her grin. “And the candies.” Obito couldn’t help but grin a bit at the sheer glee in her voice. This was only the second year they did this and he already was craving the freedom of physical connection again. The pure lands were pretty but severely lacked in fun. Obito peered around the tree and saw the numerous other families and friends drawing their own circles in the packed earth of the training ground. Some circles had modest offerings but some practically had feasts and miniature suns formed from candlelight and blazing crimson sunlight. Speaking of crimson-

“Oh, Kushina’s got hers working!” Rin said as a veritable flood of redheaded people swept out of the circle near the edge of the pathway. “Light it! Light it, light it, light it!” She was bouncing even as her eyes turned to their distinct solstice gold and black. Kakashi for his part nearly tipped over as his horns finally got with the program and finally put in an appearance as he lit the four candles. Even he was grinning as the last flame flickered into place.

Obito practically dove through the circle’s edge and felt the solidity of the ground under his feet. His lungs heaved as they suddenly needed to work again and then were rapidly emptied when Rin flung herself into him, all her scales finally in for the night. 

“Welcome back Obito!”

“Welcome back.” Kakashi said, eyes dancing in mirth.

“I’m home.” Obito laughed before he picked his oldest friend up and swung her around. Rin laughed as they careened into Kakashi, who either out of preoccupation or indulgence, allowed them to take him out at the knees and land squarely in a pile. They all were huffing out various degrees of laughter as the moon blazed a bit brighter before turning the pale lilac that marked each seasonal solstice. 

“Oh! Oh wait! Come on we have to go meet your mom!” Rin sat bolt upright, her normally energetic demeanor practically manic as she snagged their hands and pulled. 

“Rin! Rin squishy human again! Easy!” Obito yelped. Kakashi, the bastard, didn;t object to the rough treatment at all. 

“Sorry! Sorry!” She said, but didn’t let so much as a finger escape her clutches before halfway hauling him into a princess carry. “Come on! We gotta go see Kakashi’s mom! We can’t be late this time!”

“We could be a little late.” Kakashi grumbled, the skin on his forehead already split for his third eye to peer around. 

“If we’re late then that throws the whole plan out of whack! Come on!” And with that Obito found himself getting spirited past the mob of Uzumaki that were still arriving, into the path of a few werewolves halfway into their shifts tussling, and onto the streets of Konoha. The village was decked out for the solstice with entire streets shut down for festivals, restaurants keeping open all night, and excited people in throngs.

“Hi ‘Bito!” Obito barely got a glimpse of little Shisui yelling from a mass of black haired mages and visiting spirits. Madara and Izuna had already crossed over and were covered in children. 

“Catch you in a bit!” He bellowed over Rin’s biceps as they booked it towards the clan compounds. If there was a reply he didn’t hear it over the firecrackers a crowd of Senju set off with a whoop. The colored smoke stung Obito’s eyes but he relished it. He could feel Rin’s dense muscles and the heave of his lungs, the offbeat of his heart, and began laughing again as Kakashi gave into the spirit of the night and started shoving their two-person tower towards their destination with a grin not even his mask could obscure.

He wanted this every day, the effortless interaction that the rest of the year left him exhausted to so much as manifest for an hour. And with that thought, their trio spilled into the Hatake compound with enough enthusiasm to power the entire city. The garden was already occupied even as Zetsu flexed his fully unfurled flytrap and Hagoromo and Hamura flicked water at each other across the koi pond. Immediately the three older boys, and by inhuman standards they were absolutely still adolescent, flung themselves with a chorus of cheers at their little brother. Obito and Rin were merely caught in the crossfire of ruffled hair and indignant yells. If the trio made sure to miss a hug or two and catch Obito he wasn't complaining about more contact.

"Hey Rin."

"The pup grew!"

"Welcome to the world of the living, Brighteyes."

Obito barely had time to notice movement before a statuesque woman bullied her way into the middle of things to crush her youngest son. Even as Kakashi's dad started to laugh at the scene Obito couldn't help but grin himself.

"My little boy! Oh I've missed you. Look at your horns! Oh why are you wearing that mask?" Rin started giggling as Kaguya started picking on Kakashi. "You look just like your father, why hide such a handsome face?"

"Mom!"

Obito felt his grin grow wider. Tonight was everything he wanted.

* * *

  
  


"-And that is how the spirits came to their agreement with the mages. For one night of the year magic is everywhere. We show ourselves, the ones we miss return, and those who cannot live in the normal world get to run free here for a single night. In return magic would be held secret, only shared with certain people and shown at certain times. So when the sun rises we don't say 'goodbye', just 'see you later.'" The horde of children crowded around a visiting Hashirama oohed and ahhed appropriately as the story came to a close. Perched on Iruka's lap, Naruto was staring with wide red eyes as his family's spirit curled around them. Obito remembered sitting in a similar place when he was little, listening to the same solstice story and telling his extended family he'd see them in a year with tired eyes at dawn. 

"Nostalgic, huh?"

"Yeah." Obito looked over at Rin. She leaned on his shoulder while Kakashi draped his annoyingly long legs over their laps. "We have maybe two hours left before sunrise. What do you want to do?"

"We already ate half the food on Himewaka Boulevard."

"You two ate half of it you mean." Kakashi asserted imperiously before Rin smacked his knee. "What about a run by the game stalls in the Futaba District?"

"Obito cheats."

"Do not!"

"You absolutely do which is why we should go and let him win everything."

"Maybe go to the Great Tree?" Obito wished he could take it back for a moment. Rin almost immediately hopped up though with that grin back on her face.

"Yeah! Come on!"

"Yeah okay." Kakashi hopped up in a smooth motion and without a pause offered his hand to Obito. "We better get going then."

"Guess so."

* * *

The hike was short but quiet. Obito felt himself grow a bit calmer every step. This place was old. Older than the tailed beasts, older than Kakashi's mom, ancient and beautiful. He wanted to run straight to the grove and to also turn back and never return. The Tree was powerful, but it was a kid's story and all. He still held a weird little hope he'd had as a kid that if he wished hard enough he'd be able to make his mom and dad come back forever. It had never worked, but it was special and to think he couldn't wish like that anymore felt like a loss.

He wouldn't even see this place if Kakashi and Rin didn't miss him. 

"Hey, you okay?"

"What?"

"Obito you're crying." He hadn't even noticed the tears tracking down his cheeks until Rin pointed it out.

"I'm fine. I'm fine I promise."

"Crybaby mage."

"Dumb moon prince." Obito swiped at his eyes a final time and started walking. "Okay, come on, we're nearly there."

"Obito we're _ already _ there."

"** _What?_ **" Sure enough- "aw geez come on."

"Do ghosts need glasses?"

"Stick a pair of glasses on me and we'll be asking if rabbit dog things need a dentist." Kakashi raised his hands and didn't push any further, he just let Obito walk up to the tree.

"Still amazing, right?" Rin asked, giving the trunk a pat.

"Was it always so big?" Obito asked before pressing his own hand to the bark, trees didn't care if you'd been crying. "OW!" Or maybe they did.

"What happened?"

"Scratched myself, I dunno!" Obito shook the sting out of his hand before giving the tree a half-hearted glower.

"Do not kick the tree."

"I wasn't going to Bakashi!" He pivoted on the leg that _ hadn't _ been halfway off the ground and sank to to soft moss below. "I'm just getting comfy. It's been a long night." 

"Hey do ghosts get tired when they're… you know, actually ghostly?" Rin asked as she joined him.

"Kinda. You know how I can make things move even if you can't see me? That takes a lot out of me. I'm not tired but I feel like I'm not as real."

"Well you're here now." Kakashi said before taking up the spot on his other side. "And you seem real enough. Scrawny but real."

"Go to hell." Obito said with a tired grin.

"Not without you. By the way I know you knocked over that soup on me last week." Obito closed his eyes with a chuckle. It would be just for a minute.  
  


* * *

"-bito! Obito wake up!"

"Five more minutes m'kay?" He screwed his eyes shut against the bright light.

"Not m'kay! Wake! Up!"

"Jeez Rin I-" Obito's eyes flew open in the morning sunshine. "Rin! Kakashi! You can see me?" Rin nodded with tears in her pretty eyes. "You can hear me?"

"Yeah," Kakashi breathed out, "we hear you. Obito what did you _ do _?" 

"Nothing!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure! Holy- I'm still here. Quick slap me!" Rin could have hesitated a bit before complying and only then squeezing the life out of him. Well at least, he thought, there seemed to be life to squeeze 


End file.
